Anchoring the Spider
by LuxahHeart
Summary: Since the tournament she couldn't get it out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. There was just something about it, and it wasn't even that big of a deal or that grand of a gesture. It had just been a wave! So why did she feel butterflies in her stomach every time she thought about it?


**This takes place after the events of BFF, this time following Bryan and Hilary. Once more this is dedicated to Trashy off Tumblr. The tattoos are ones she's drawn on the characters, and you can find her artwork on Tumblr under Trashyartz or Iamtrashyartz. **

**There may be a part three to this mini-series of events, unsure yet. That'll be up to her. Until then, enjoy! **

* * *

It had started with a wave, a simple gesture that many people had given her over the course of her life, but this one had been different. How, or even why, she didn't know but she couldn't get that one simple thing out of her head. As often as she had been occupied with another issue on her hands, aside from the tournament they had been in, that one wave had unfolded something in the pit of her stomach.

Gray hair and green eyes had plagued her dreams, sometimes finding herself wrapped in pale, strong, arms or with a burgundy jacket thrown over her that was lined with fur. Or maybe it was just wool, she wasn't sure because these were only dreams and she hadn't dared try and touch the blader these things actually belonged to in real life.

It had been weeks, almost a month now, since the tournament had ended that secured Tyson's champion status once more. The boys had come back to stay for a little while before they were to go off again; Ray had a home back in China, and Max was going to stay in America with his mother for a few months. Kai was in and out, sometimes he'd grace the others with his presence while other days he could possibly be anywhere. Nobody really knew, nobody really asked, except for Hilary.

Being considered his new best friend, she was privy to all that was going on in his current life and love life. Since it had been her that gave him the push off that cliff during the tournament, forcing him to take the dive and she couldn't have been happier for him and Tala; even if they were facing a long distance relationship at the moment.

This day had been one of those where everyone was packed back in Tyson's home, meaning Kai was there right where she needed him. Once more she had been plagued by dreams of gray hair and green eyes that she couldn't shake, no matter how hard she had tried to. She knew next to nothing about Bryan, and if Tala had been such a mystery to her before Bryan was on top of that list with him.

She couldn't even say that he was nice, or anything because she had no clue! Through Kai she slowly learned about Tala, and that was _all_ she could ever get out of him during those late night talks in the unfamiliar hotel rooms across the world. The nights, during the tournament, that Kai came and talked to her he had only really talked about one person and that person had happened to be the object of _his _affection. Not hers. If she could even call it that, she wasn't sure, but something had to give soon before she pulled out all of her hair.

The moment Kai had stepped onto Tyson's property she had stuck to his side like glue, taking his place as the mute as she had no idea how to strike up such a conversation with him. What if he thought her weird, what if Bryan already had somebody? Then there came the same problem Kai and Tala were in at the moment, she lived in Japan while Bryan lived in Russia. Would they even be able to hold onto a relationship, being that far away from one another? Would Bryan even _want_ a relationship with someone he barely knew?!

"You okay there Hil?" Kai's voice seemed to jar her awake, in a way she became how he was back during the tournament and now she understood his own hidden fears at that time.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She waved off, trying to paint on a smile for him but it fell flat.

Somehow they had been conned in cleaning up the dishes from their late lunch, the two standing shoulder to shoulder at the sink. Kai was almost elbow deep in the soapy water, Hilary with a towel in her hand drying the plate he had handed over to her a minute ago.

Kai only nodded, though a frown had come over his face as he subtly watched her out the corner of his eyes. She didn't look fine, had stuck to his side more so than normal. Yes, they had become really close over the past few weeks and he would always be grateful for her being there when he needed her. Yet, there was something in her own eyes that bothered him. There was no light in them anymore, and somehow he recognized that look even if he didn't know why it was there to start with.

"You know you can tell me." He said in a lower whisper, their backs were to the door and even if the others were outside anyone could just walk in at any given moment.

Hilary let out a deep sigh, taking the plate he offered from the sink after rinsing the soap off it. As she ran the towel around the circular dish, her mind ran a thousand miles in one direction before turning and dashing the other way.

She had never mentioned this to anyone, but she knew deep down she could trust him. After all, he had trusted her and it wasn't like Kai Hiwatari trusted many people to begin with.

"I think… I think I might have found someone I like…" She explained as her shoulders hunched forward slightly, the grip on the towel and plate in her hand tightening.

Kai rose a slate brow at her, waiting for her to continue while he drained the sink and rinsed off his own hands and arms of the suds. Though the longer he just waited, the longer the silence came over their heads and it was actually, for once, becoming unbearable around him.

"Who?" Was the best he could come out with and ask her.

Hilary glanced up at him, her once hunched shoulders going back as if she was squaring up to him. Really, she was just hoping to put on a braver front. Somehow, this wasn't as easy as she originally thought it to be.

"…B…Bryan…" She uttered in a mere whisper, her head hanging so low as if she was waiting to be scolded.

Kai could only blink in return down at her, he wasn't even sure if he heard her right there for a minute until slowly his brain did register the familiar name.

"Really?" He asked in an amused chuckle, "My condolences."

Hilary's head snapped back up quickly, smacking him playfully on the arm as her face went as red as his eyes. "That's not funny!"

Kai smirked at her, "Why him?"

Hilary's face fell for a minute, "I… I really don't know. Ever since the tournament and he waved at me, I just haven't been able to get him, _or_, that wave out of my head." She said as she shook it slowly, placing the plate she had been clutching to like a lifeline on the counter beside her, drying off her hands and tossing the rag over her shoulder.

"It's not even like I _know_ him that well, but I've had dreams about him and just can't stop thinking about him. You know him better than I do, would he even be someone worth trying a relationship with?"

Kai took in her expression and the way her voice had come out, uncertain and fear laced within. Out of them all, no. Bryan was probably the worst person she could have suddenly found feelings for. That didn't mean it couldn't work though, everyone deserved a chance at being happy, and since she had made sure he had found his happiness it was only fair he did the same. But he wasn't going to lie to her.

"No, he's just about as antisocial as the rest of us. Maybe even more. He's got a lot of baggage, then again who doesn't? I'm not saying he can't return feelings, but at times we're not even sure if he has any to begin with." He explained, hoping he wasn't just painting Bryan with a blackened brush with what he was saying.

Hilary's already dull eyes only dulled more at the information, "Oh… Well… I mean you and Tala are okay now. Right?"

Kai made a noise through his throat, "Everyone's different, they handle their issues differently. Bryan, his way of handling something is more like a raging bull in a tea shop. Once he goes off, you just stand back and let him get it out of his system."

"Then how does he expect anything to work out? That's just stupid." Hilary scoffed with a roll of her eyes, "It sounds like he just needs to find a new way to deal with whatever it is, and if you guys don't step in to stop it then he'll never find better ways."

Kai smirked again; somehow what Hilary was saying amused him. Even if she was right. It wasn't that they hadn't tried, but then again they were all stocked up on their own issues along with testosterone that seemed to always set the bull off more. As if Bryan only looked at them as challengers, intent on throwing his weight around and getting his way and it didn't matter to him who he had to mow down to get it. Even if they had been his comrades since they were children.

Maybe what Bryan needed was a woman's touch to the whole situation? Hilary could always handle their own little riffraff, in her own way. She had proven, time and time again, that she had her own sure fire temper that they learned not to ignite; some learned quicker than others of course. Daichi being one of the slower learners between them all.

"Do you want to get to know him better?" Kai asked, breaking the silence that had once again found them.

Hilary's cheeks flared up in a blush, "I mean… Maybe?" Her voice squeaked out, "But, how? He's in Russia. And even if we did find common ground, he lives there."

They both knew she was only trying to come up with excuses now, that she was nervous and Kai couldn't blame her for it. Gently he took up her hand in his, letting her know he wasn't going to let her go through this alone.

"Let me worry about getting them here."

Hilary nodded, though she could already feel her heart slamming into her chest harder. Nervousness rushed up through her from the heels of her feet to the top of her head, her hand gripped around Kai's tighter for another minute before they pulled away.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, they'll stay with me. So you can come over whenever you want." Kai said as he went to move around her.

"Whose staying with you?"

At the voice the other two turned their attention to the doorway where Ray was stepping into the kitchen, in his dirt covered hands he held an even dirtier blade. In need of the sink the other two were standing in front of, moving out of his way and let him wash off his blade and his hands.

Hilary glanced at the back of Ray's head before shifting her nervous eyes to Kai, she didn't mind if the others really knew. Well, at least not Ray since he wasn't as loud about things as Tyson and Daichi were. As if he read her mind, Kai made himself comfortable against the counter with his back. Folding his arms over his chest, for another few minutes the running water from the faucet was the only noise between the three until Ray shut it off.

"Tala and Bryan." Kai answered once he knew he had Ray's attention.

Ray nodded mindlessly, drying Driger and his hands off on the towel Hilary had offered him from her shoulder until an uncomfortable shiver ran up and down his spine.

"Why Bryan?" He asked, though hoped he didn't sound as terrified as he felt suddenly.

Tala to him was fine, they didn't have any issues between each other. He and Kai were now boyfriends and Ray had accepted that, was happy for the two of them, but Bryan was a whole different story.

Kai shrugged his shoulders, "Why not? They'll be staying with me anyways, not like you'll see him all that often."

Hilary could only watch between the two of them, once more thousands of questions started piling up in her head. She had remembered, weeks ago, when she had gone to Ray to help her with her Kai and Tala problem. He had said that they all knew each other before Kai knew any of them, but beyond that she still didn't know anything that had transpired between the two teams their first year together.

"Okay… But that still doesn't answer why he's coming at all." Ray said back, pocketing Driger and took up a stance similar to Kai against the counter in front of the sink.

"I want to meet him!" Hilary cut in just as Kai's mouth opened to speak, another blush racing along her cheeks.

Ray's head snapped to her on his right, before he looked back over at Kai on his left and did a few more double takes between the two of them. That was an odd thing for Hilary to want, and something in the back of his head told him not to pry further but his mouth opened anyways.

"What for? He's kind of an asshole."

"Ray." Kai warned, though his voice wasn't as stern as it could have been towards him.

Ray's head snapped back to him, biting the inside of his cheek. "Sorry, but he is." He shrugged his shoulders.

Kai rolled his eyes at him, who knew three years later Ray could hold onto a grudge like this so tightly.

"Kai's an asshole, but you're fine with him." Hilary interjected quickly, hoping to keep the situation from getting out of hand.

Ray let out an awkward laugh, "Once he attacks me with a beyblade, or a chunk of a beydish, then we might not get along as well as we used to."

Hilary rose a confusing brow, this time her mouth opening to speak when Kai beat her to it this time.

"You have got to let that go." He directed at Ray, though with another amused smirk cracking along his face.

"I don't see a scar on your hip, besides that hurt." Ray threw back at him in a huff, "Maybe if he said he was sorry, I'd let it go. But we both know hell would have to freeze over before that happens." He rolled his eyes, peeling himself away from the counter to leave the other two.

"Just watch your back, Hil. Or your hips." He said over his shoulder as he left the kitchen, Hilary watching him go silently till she turned her confused brown eyes to Kai.

Kai let out his own exasperated sigh, "It was a long time ago, but Bryan hurt Ray during a beybattle our first year as a team. In a way, it wasn't Bryan's fault for what he did. He was only following orders." He explained as briefly as he could, Hilary needed to make her own conclusions about Bryan when they met. What had happened three years ago was in the past.

Hilary could only really nod back to him, maybe it was a good thing she had only come in the past two years and met everyone. She couldn't even imagine what they all had gone through that first year as a team, remembering something Kenny had told her the first time she learned about Kai. Something about him going evil in Russia. Maybe it was the same situation, how Kai and the other Blitzkrieg Boys all knew each other.

"I'll see if they can come for the weekend, I'll keep you updated." Kai said as he pulled himself away from the counter he had been leaning on, he had a team to go command and by the looks of Ray and Driger covered in dirt earlier, he was going to have his hands full for a few hours.

"Okay, thank you Kai." She squeaked back, her nervousness washing through her again as she watched him go. Finding herself exactly where she didn't want to be, alone.

* * *

Where exactly the time had gone, she wasn't sure, one minute it had been Monday and now it was Saturday and Kai had gone off to the airport to pick up Tala and Bryan. They were coming, they were finally back in Japan and she didn't know what to do with herself or how to feel.

There were butterflies in her stomach and terrible, almost painful, knots mixed in there.

What if he didn't like her hair, or her clothes? What if he just didn't like her at all?! What if _she_ didn't like him at all once she got to know _him_?!

She had busied herself with making the dojo look spotless, someone had to do it at least and since the other boys were back out busy training, orders from their fearless leader while he was gone, she was left to her own devices and worse; the little voice inside her head telling her all the worst possible things about how this was going to go.

With her back aching, her fingers sore from scrubbing everything down like the Pope was making a visit, she finally relaxed down on the couch in the living room. More exhausted than nervous now as she checked the clock on the wall for the time, they'd be back in an hour at best which left her to her own thoughts once more.

Though from the strain of cleaning and those terrible, annoying, thoughts her mind and body finally gave out on her. Falling asleep on the couch, almost dead to the world for that whole hour and only jolted awake when Tyson's voice startled her.

"Hey Tala, Bryan!"

She shot upright, having fallen on her side on the couch during her brief nap, and quickly rushed to the bathroom to recheck herself over. Fixing her hair in the mirror, washing her face and shaky hands. With one last look at her own reflection she steeled her nerves, Bryan was just another human being. People did this sort of thing all the time, it shouldn't be so hard to get to know him. Right?

As she wandered back down the hall to the living room Kai was leading the other two boys through the front door, and she felt herself freeze up as her brown eyes landed on Bryan's person.

He wasn't in the clothes he had worn during the tournament anymore, and she felt a little disappointed at that; she really liked his jacket.

Something caught her attention almost instantly, right there on the side of his neck was a tattoo that took up almost the whole side, black lines ran to form a spider on the right side of his neck. She arched a brow, that hadn't been there before. Had it?

"Hey boys." She waved almost meekly at them, forcing herself to do something instead of standing in the hallway's opening like a statue.

"Hilary." Tala greeted in a nod; his hand clutched to Kai's as they had come through the door.

Bryan looked up and waved at her, following the other two towards the kitchen. Hilary's eyes followed him, her stomach fluttering again with butterflies as she felt like turning into goo right then and there.

He waved at her, again!

She quickly followed; she had a mission to complete before he had to go back.

"Did you clean the whole place?" Kai asked, hearing her following after them and sat down at the table with Tala and Bryan.

"I did…" Hilary answered as she shuffled nervously on her feet, "Tea boys?"

"Sure." Tala nodded, watching her rush about the kitchen to prepare them a drink.

"How was your flight?" She decided to break the ice, before an uncomfortable silence came over their heads.

"Well enough, the flight attendant kept trying to flirt with Tala." Bryan snickered, "Had to be the one that gave them bad news about how we was already taken."

Tala rolled his eyes as Kai smirked, that's right. He was very much taken. Hilary on the other hand let out a small chuckle, of all the things Bryan could have said she didn't think he was going to come right out with that.

The silence did fall over their heads as Hilary finished making the tea, though she didn't mind it for once. It wasn't as heavy or foreboding as she had anticipated it would be, if anything she welcomed it. The other two boys looked exhausted, then again who wouldn't be flying from Moscow to Japan?

"Here you boys go." She said happily, setting their mugs down on the table and sat down with her own. "What did you guys have planned for today?" She asked around the rim of her own, hot, mug.

Bryan was the first to shrug, "Whatever you want."

Hilary flushed red, almost choking on her tea as it slipped down her throat. Her brown eyes shooting wide open and clocking Kai and the smug look on his face. Did he tell him?!

"Can I talk to you?" She squeaked, already pushing herself away from the table quickly. The legs of her chair squealing against the hardwood floor.

Kai followed in a fluid motion, his chair not making a single noise as he stood up and stepped out of the kitchen with her.

She grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, jerking him around the corner and into the hallway though kept her grip on his jacket tight.

"What did you tell him?" She asked in a harsh whisper.

"Nothing."

"Then how did you get him here, and why would he ask that?"

Kai shrugged, "Said you wanted to get to know him. You're not backing out now, so don't even try."

Hilary's grip on the front of his jacket loosened, stuttering around to find the right words to say but nothing was coming to mind. For being a straight A honor student, she couldn't think of one comeback to that or how to wipe that smug look off his face that seemed to have become permanent.

"Alright fine, as long as he doesn't know." She let him go, looking more like herself for the first time since that morning.

"He doesn't know, that's for you to tell him." Kai shook his head some, holding his arm out for her. "Shall we?"

She slipped her arm around his, "Thank you. For doing this with me."

"Anytime."

Somehow, after their afternoon tea, Kai had gotten the other two boys to agree going down to the pier. It saved them from having to be stuck in Tyson's house staring at each other or the walls, and most importantly the others. Though there had been one face that hadn't shown up at all since Bryan had stepped out of his car when they first arrived, where Ray had ran off to no one really knew but if anything he was fine. He could handle himself and Kai didn't have to worry about him compared to it being one of the others if they had just up and disappeared.

As the four walked along the pier, Kai and Tala behind the other two hand in hand, the water from the rolling waves misted them as the waves crashed against the rocks that lined along the wall. There were a few fishermen sitting along the walls, their poles dipped in the water, and not minding the four teenagers walking around.

"So, when did you get a tattoo?" Hilary asked before her brain kicked into high gear, "Or has that been there this whole time?!" She spewed out.

"Got it three days ago." Bryan said as he tilted his neck some, stretching it out so she could get a better look at it. "Like it?" He asked with his own smirk, though his was a bit different than Kai's smirk. His was almost… Menacing.

"I do, but why a spider? Isn't your bit-beast a falcon?" She asked, one good thing about having Kenny around was he had logs upon logs of all the bladers and she might have 'borrowed' his computer to take a quick look at Bryan's profile.

Bryan shrugged his shoulders, "Why not? Does that mean you don't like it?" He looked down beside her, she only came up to his shoulders.

"I do! I was just curious is all…" Hilary blushed a deep red, "Do you have others?"

"I'm thinking about getting another when I get back, going to put it right here." He held up his arm and pointed at his right bicep, "Don't know what it'll be though."

Hilary could only stare at the pale, bare, arm he was showing off. As much as she liked his jacket, she was happy he had gone without it for the day. He had really nice skin, and arms. Everything, now that it was up close, was nice and hopefully she wasn't drooling.

"I've always kind of wanted one, but I'm kind of scared because of the pain."

"It's not too bad, but everyone's pain tolerance is different. Why don't you get something small?" He questioned and stopped, turning to her and picked up her right hand, turning it over and pointing just above her wrist bone.

"One right here?"

"Why there?" Hilary asked as her heart slammed into her chest.

He was touching her! Who knew his touch could be so gentle.

Bryan shrugged again, "It might not be as bad there, but that depends on your pain tolerance."

"What would I get?"

Bryan seemed to stare at her wrist some more, "What do you think you should get? What speaks to you?"

Kai and Tala had stopped a while back from them, knowing what was going on even if they weren't looking as their attention was out at the rolling waves. This was for them, and although Kai had said Bryan didn't know he of course had told his boyfriend about it and it was easy to get Bryan to come anyways. Where Tala went, Bryan would always follow. That's just how it was, Kai understood that and wasn't threatened by it, because that's how they operated back in the Abbey.

"I'm not really sure…" Hilary cocked her head to the side, staring at her blank arm as she tried to picture something there but nothing really came to mind.

"Why don't we go pick something out?" Bryan suggested as he let her hand go.

Her skin still felt warm where he had touched her, missing the touch of his hand on her as she let her arm fall back down to her side.

"Like right now?"

"I'm sure we can find a parlor around here." Bryan said as he looked towards the other two that had stepped away from them, before letting out a shrill whistle to grab their attention.

"Oi, we're getting tats!"

"What?!" Tala's head snapped off Kai's shoulder as he looked back over at the other two.

"Of all the things you want to get!" Tala huffed as he pulled Kai along with him to join the others.

"Why not?"

"You said that last time." Tala rolled his eyes as they stepped up to them, "Is there a parlor even around here?"

"Should be one down on main street." Kai supplied.

"Then we should go." Bryan began to lead them away from the piers and back to Kai's car.

Climbing into the back beside Hilary as Kai took up the drivers seat and Tala beside him, the AC cooling off their slightly flushed skin from being out in the sun. Somehow on the drive away from the piers and down on main street it was agreed that all four of them would be getting something, what, none of them were quite sure yet.

After driving around for a short while they finally pulled up to the parlor, upon entering there were the faint sounds of a rock band playing from the speakers, over that were the buzzing of the instruments that were being used and one loud scream from a patron before the begging to stop started up.

Hilary's heart slammed in her chest harder, she hadn't been scared until now. A strong arm fell over her shaking shoulders, relaxing under the heavy weight of them like a calming blanket.

"It'll be alright, but you don't have to do this if you don't want to." Bryan whispered in her ear as Kai and Tala stepped up to the glass case that one of the artists were sitting at to set them up.

"No… No I want to." She said in as strong of a voice that she could muster, she wasn't going to back down. Not because he was there, but because she really did want to do this. It would just be easier with the other three there.

"You can take a look through these, give you an idea of what you're looking at getting." The artist behind the counter directed to a few black and red binders.

Tala passed the thickest one back to Bryan, while Kai forked over the deposit for the four of them. It was going to be an hour at best, and however long it would take to get through the four of them.

Bryan sat on the weathered, black leather couch that was pushed up against the wall of windows, Hilary sitting down beside him as he opened the binder to go through.

"These are stunning." She gasped as the prints and array of vibrant and sometimes just plain black and white pictures.

"The more ink you get, the pricier it is." Bryan informed as he flipped through the laminated pages.

"So pick something small." Kai stated as he and Tala stood against the wall beside the couch, going through their own black binder.

"You a cheap ass now, Hiwatari?" Bryan's menacing smirk came back, though Hilary didn't find it to be threatening; that was just how it looked on him and she kind of liked it.

Kai made a noise back at him, "Seeing as how I'm the one that bought your ticket and feeding and sheltering you for the week, yes." He said without tearing his eyes away from the book.

"I like this one." Hilary broke up the small spat before it got out of hand, two years with the others she always had a sixth sense on when there was going to be an argument if she didn't step in.

Bryan looked down at what she was pointing to, "For you?" It was a picture of a dagger; the top of the hilt was broken away from the rest of it. This particular picture was just done in black in white though.

"No, I just like it." Hilary mumbled.

Bryan nodded, he liked it too. "What about this?" He pointed at a page with smaller tattoo options, all done in thick black ink. They were no bigger than an American half-dollar, simple in design and something that would be bearable for her.

"Oh!" Hilary jumped beside him, brown eyes scanning the page until her eyes fell on a simple anchor. "I like this."

Kai happened to lean over to see what she picked out, "That suits you."

"You think so?" She looked up to meet his eyes.

Kai nodded, "After putting up with the others, and me, I think so."

Hilary beamed brighter than the sun, that was so sweet of him to say. "Well somebody has to be the voice of reason, when you're not around." She gently pushed him in the side in a playful manner.

The hour seemed to tick down after that, they all had picked what they wanted and filled out the forms they had been handed. Though Bryan was the only one who hadn't divulged in what his would be, saying it was a surprise and he chose to go last.

Tala was up first, Kai walking back with him though it wasn't to really hold his hand because he didn't think Tala would need it. Until the needles started their work on his arm and he flinched, quickly grabbing Kai's wrist in a death grip. It had been a few years since he had felt a pain like that, but he pressed through as the artist focused on his task and ignored the Russian that was bouncing from the man in his chair and the one standing there beside him.

After forty minutes it was done, wrapped and sore. Kai trading places with Tala on the chair though Tala was busy checking out his new ink in the mirror that sat over the artists workstation. Of course, in homage to Wolborg, he had picked a white wolf howling at the moon that circled the top with purple flowers at the bottom. It was beautiful and worth every penny of Kai's money.

Kai was a bit different; his teeth were clenched but he kept all the foul words in his head as the needles touched his skin. Tala had come back away from the mirror to look over his shoulder, watching the master at work as lines became a picture along his boyfriends pale arm from his wrist up to the crease in his arm.

Of course, again, in homage to Kai's bit-beast he went with flames that licked up his arm with red feathers inside the fire. The outline was done in a matter of minutes, then came the color and he about jolted out of his chair.

[Not so tough now, are you?] Tala mused humorously beside him.

[Shut up.]

Once more the artist ignored the Russian between them, getting the coloring and shading done along Kai's arm until it was near enough perfect and vibrant. Slapping the work of art with solution and then wrapping it in the clear cling-wrap he was good to go to switch spots with Hilary.

She almost asked Bryan to come back with her when Tala and Kai had stepped back into the waiting portion of the parlor, though before she could make up her mind on whether she wanted him or Kai there, he was already up on his feet and held his hand out for her.

"Shall we?"

"Y-Yeah…" She took his hand, letting him hoist her up to her own feet beside him.

"That's really pretty boys." She said as she passed them, eyeing their ink quickly before she was whisked to the back.

She handed the paper over to the artist, sitting down in the chair and unaware that the entire time she had still been clutching to Bryan's hand like a lifeline. Holding out her other arm so the artist could get to work, the quicker he started the sooner it would be over.

The second the buzzing started up she clenched her eyes tight, gripping Bryan's hand and flinched slightly as the needles touched her skin. Fighting with everything within her not to deck the man holding the needles to her flesh, or just bolting up right and leaving.

"You're doing good." Bryan's voice whispered in her ear, and somehow that seemed to calm her down some though the pain was still there.

"And it's coming along great." His eyes tore away from the side of her head to check the progress, the outline was barely done which left the shading for her to get through but he knew she could do it.

"I'll open my eyes when it's done." She said through a deep breath.

Bryan chuckled, though didn't press anymore. She was doing good, for a first timer, despite him losing feeling in his fingers she was still clutching onto and well after it was all over.

"You can open them now Hilary."

Her eyes shot open, though it wasn't because of there no longer being any pain. He said her name! He knew her name- well why wouldn't he know her name though?

Her eyes at first moved to go down to her tattoo but they somehow managed to betray her and moved to his instead, had he been standing that close to her the whole time?!  
She no longer could feel the breath in her lungs, where it went she didn't know as she felt more glued to the chair than anything. Not even registering the artist wrapping her wrist up, or the cool gel being applied to her sore and slightly swelling skin.

"Did I do good?" She squeaked out.

He squeezed her hand back gently before letting it go, "You did." He smirked, though this time it didn't look as menacing as the other times.

A wide smile cracked along her lips, jumping out of the chair and pointed down at it. "Your turn! Sit, sit." She pushed around him, forcing him to sit down.

"Alright woman, hold on." He chuckled, sitting down like she ordered; he liked that about her.

He didn't scare her, she didn't seem to shy away from him, all he knew was Kai had invited Tala out to Japan because Hilary had missed him and with everything they did, Bryan followed. He hadn't expected her to stick with them though, least of all not _him_. But, he had caught on to how flustered she had become around him, the small squeaks and every time she nervously put her hair behind her ear when she didn't think he was looking. Though it was a different type of nervousness, and not one he was used to seeing from other people, or one he was familiar with at all.

Not like he knew much about women to start with, his mother dropped him on the streets at the age of twelve, the Abbey didn't have any women in it. The only ones he- kind of- knew were those that showed up at the tournaments, either as squealing fan girls or other bladers. Yet, she wasn't either of those things. She wasn't a fan girl, wasn't another blader.

She was just… Hilary. And he liked that.

"What did you even pick out?" Hilary blinked as she tried to look around his shoulder as the artist applied the stencil to his arm.

He pushed her back some gently, everything he had to do around her had to be gentle. He didn't want to scare her off now.

"Just wait and see."

Hilary chewed on her bottom lip, waiting patiently as the buzzing kicked up. Her eyes went everywhere on his person as he barely moved, barely uttered a word as the needles touched his skin. He looked like he was fixing to fall asleep more than anything.

"Does that hurt?" She asked, unsure of herself for even asking.

"Nah, had worse." Bryan answered nonchalantly; he would have shrugged if the movement didn't knock the artist's hands.

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's in the past."

Hilary could only nod, unsure of what to say now and let the buzzing of the machine fill the air space. Twenty minutes later and it stopped, the gel was applied and it was wrapped up. Before the artist had a chance to do so he directed Hilary over around to his other side, lifting his arm up some to show her what he had picked out.

"You got the dagger!" She squealed excitedly.

"I liked it." He played it off, though was happy to see that she was happy with his choice.

Why he felt that way he wasn't too sure of himself, she was just Kai's friend but Kai was Tala's boyfriend and Tala so happened to be _his_ best friend. So that made her part of their circle, didn't it?

"I like it too." She said as the artist wrapped it up, "Really looks good."

Something new, foreign, happened along his face as he felt it warming up almost instantly but he once again didn't know why. Nor did he have an explanation for the weird feeling in his gut all of a sudden, maybe he was hungry?

"Want to see if Kai'll pay for lunch?" He asked as he pushed himself out of the chair, trying hard to ignore everything that was going on in his stomach.

"I'm sure if we ask nicely he will." She grinned back, leading them back out to where they had left the other two.

As Kai finished paying for their ink they discussed food, and although he was reluctant to spend more on them, Tala had bat his long lashes at him and he caved.

This time the car ride to find a place for lunch was filled with them all discussing their new ink, admiring each of the separate pieces they had all gotten. When they found a suitable place for lunch the table was full of more chatter and talking, Hilary learning a bit more about the place known as the Abbey though not in great detail.

Tala had found Bryan on the streets, had helped care for him being a year older than him before they were recruited two years later. Then that's where they had met Kai, though he left three months later due to an injury and they hadn't seen him again until the first world tournament which brought her mind coming to a screeching halt.

"You should really apologize to Ray you know."

All three men did a double take between her and Bryan, clearly none of them had seen that coming as they just stared at her as if she had grown three heads.

"I'm sorry?" Bryan questioned.

"Not to me, to Ray!" Hilary huffed.

"But, why would I?"

Hilary groaned back at him, "Because he's my friend and you hurt him, it's not nice to just hurt people and not apologize for it."

Tala gripped Kai's arm as he held in a laugh, where was this suddenly coming from? Hell if he knew, but the blank look on Bryan's face was priceless.

"It was a beybattle, people get hurt all the time." Bryan defended.

"Doesn't matter, a beybattle should still be a sport that shows sportsmanship and create friends." She argued, clearly not backing down against him and he liked that about her too; the only other person who never backed down against him was Tala.

"I'll think about it." He mumbled as he went back to eating his burger and fries, shoving them in his mouth so he wouldn't be able to talk back to her and hoping she got the hint.

Hilary just huffed back with an eye roll, what a big baby. How hard could it be just to say "Sorry" to someone? She let it go though, not wanting to ruin their day out.

Soon enough the meal ended and Kai took her back to Tyson's, the other two felt wiped and needed some rest but promised to come back to see the others the next day. What they were going to do, nobody knew and at the moment neither of them really cared at that point. For once in his life, Bryan was actually looking forward to seeing somebody other than one of the four boys he grew up with in the Abbey again.

He sent a wave over his shoulder as she stepped out of the car, and she waved back as Kai drove away unmoving until she could no longer see it in the distance down the road.

Back in Tyson's home she sat back down on the couch, exhausted herself from a day out and slowly peeled away the cling-wrap from around her wrist to admire her tattoo. She couldn't hear the others, thinking they were still outside in the back or something, and got to admire her ink for a bit before they came trotting in with no doubt thirty thousand questions for her that she didn't feel like answering.  
It wasn't almost until dinner time did the others finally show up back at the house.

"Where were you all?" She demanded as she got up from the couch, her hands on her hips.

"Movies." Tyson grinned, "We'd offer to take you but you were cleaning."

"And you could have helped me! It's your house Tyson!"

Tyson just grinned from ear to ear, "Okay, next time I'll take care of it." He waved off, heading to his room. Max on his heels quickly.

"I'll handle dinner tonight Hil." Ray said as he passed her, going to the kitchen to start it up.

"Thank you Ray." She said to his back, since he was already gone and decided to just sit back on the couch again and relax. Admiring her tattoo once more and the silence until the phone started to ring.

Ray decided to pick it up since clearly nobody else in the house was going to move an inch to grab it. Hilary couldn't really hear him on it, wondering who it could have been before Ray came out of the kitchen looking like he had seen a ghost.

"Did hell freeze over?"

Hilary gave him a questioning look, "What do you mean?"

"That was Bryan… He said he was sorry for our battle three years ago." Ray said, pointing over his shoulder back at the kitchen with the same pale look upon his face.

Hilary fought hard not to laugh in his face, though she felt those butterflies in her stomach return as her mind replayed that simple wave that had started it all. Tomorrow couldn't get there soon enough for her now.


End file.
